Constellation Concentration
by rising.galaxy
Summary: Annabeth grew up with her father and her step mother. Percy grew up with his mother and step father. Piper has her father. Jason has his mother. When she walks into a store at the beach she regularly go to with her family because of an item she wants to buy, she meets someone who sparks an interest in something that she hadn't really bothered to think about for a long time.
1. Pop's Poppin' Culture Shop

Annabeth swung on the rusted metal swings in front of the pond while waiting for Piper. Cars and bicycles cruised by on the road next to the small park. On the other side was a small hotel that she was staying at for her stay at the beach, and she was waiting for Piper to run up the street from her beach house so that they could go out for the evening and possibly meet up with Reyna. She took a deep breath through her nose and sighed, the scent of salt air combined with the smell of a pond was strange, but one that she associated with summer. The swings creaked and groaned every time she swung up, and her feet hit the branches of the tree that hung in front of her.

"Hey!" A voice called. Annabeth started to slow her swinging as Piper came around the swing set. Her hair was still wet from her shower after they got back from the beach. "My dad took forever in the shower!" She said in between breaths.

Annabeth grinned "Did you run here?" she asked.

"No, I walked here." Piper said while rolling her eyes. "Are you ready to go?"

"What does it mean to be 'ready'?" Annabeth asked while getting of of the swings.

"Now is not the time for extensional questions, Annabeth. There's a really cute necklace I want to get tonight."

The sun was starting to set as they made their way into the town's center. The air smelled like salt, malt vinegar and smoke. The sidewalk was uneven, and on their right side were benches for people to sit on. People drove up and down the avenue at impossibly slow paces because of how busy it was, and were constantly honking at each other. Annabeth and Piper made their way up the main avenue, bumping into people constantly since there were so many.

"I believe that this place is the epitome of what they call 'light pollution'." said Piper as they continued to walk. "You know? Like how could you have those moments where you see the stars at the beach when there are so many lights around?"

"I mean, the sun hasn't completely set yet, but yeah, it's practically impossible to see the night sky from where we are." responded Annabeth. She began to pull her curly hair into a bun and sighed at the temperature change.

"I told you. You need to let the skin there breath, and you never wear your hair up." Piper said while elbowing Annabeth.

"Whatever." "Also since we are on the subject of the night sky…"

"No we weren't" Piper said.

"We were before you said something irrelevant." Annabeth said. "I want to buy this mug that has stars on it, and when you pour in it, the constellations show up. It's really cool, and it's sold at Pop's."

"Oh cool, that's right by the store that I want to go to also."

"There's a jewelry store over there?" Annabeth asked.

"Yeah, it's really cute, we should go there after Pop's."

The girls walked up to pops, a small store on the avenue that had a old red sign that read "Pop's Popin' culture shop" There was an old red eve the hung over the building and the door was the same shade of red, which always reminded Annabeth of the fire trucks that her brothers used to play with. The actual entrance to the store was about the size of a closet door, and they walked in one behind the other.

The inside of Pop's looked like it belonged in the 60's and not in the 21st century, contrary to it's name. Checkered floors, a jukebox, records, antique comics, Pop's even had old tin cans and cups from the time period. It really was a blast from the past in there. It smelled like candy and paper, and there was always classic rock playing over the speakers, courtesy of one of the workers pulling out some record. The records were all on white shelves on the left side of the store, while the mugs, keychains and other trinkets that they had were on the shelves on the right side by where the girls were standing. Even the lighting made place look "old" in Piper's words.

"Is this the cup that you're looking for?" Piper asked, while holding up a black box with stars on it.

"Yes!" Annabeth said while reaching out to grab it. "Isn't it beautiful? And look! They have so many mugs too."

"So why do you want this one specifically?" Piper asked.

"I'm not sure. I mean, my mom would tell me stories about them when I was a kid, so maybe that's why." Annabeth said. "But Piper, it's so pretty!" she exclaimed.

"Are you talking about our transition mugs?" A voice asked from further in the store. Annabeth and Piper turned around and saw someone who was presumably a worker standing at the edge of one of the aisles, holding a stack of comics. He was tall, with black hair that made it look as though he had ran from off the beach and into work, and taken part of the sea with him because his eyes were a sea green. He had tanned skin, not like the lifeguards who have tanning competitions, but definitely noticeable. He wore a blue t-shirt and black shorts, with beat up converse hi-tops.

"Yeah, my friends obsessed with the constellation one." Piper said.

"Well, not obsessed…" Annabeth began.

"Annabeth, don't lie to the man."

"My name is Percy?" he added in, the end of his sentence going up like a question.

"Ok, so yes, I really like them. However, they are really expensive, and this makes me pretty sad." She said while looking at Percy.

"I mean, they change what they look like when you pour water in them. But yeah, they are really expensive. Sorry?" He said while laughing slightly.

"It's fine" Annabeth said while laughing a little too. Percy walked over closer to them and bent to so he could begin to put the comic books he was holding on the lowest shelf.

"So, is there anything else that you're looking for?" he asked.

"A solution to this cup problem. She's been having a serious crisis about this." Piper said.

"Piper no one asked." Annabeth said. Percy and Piper laughed.

"Well, I can't change the price. It's $13. Do you have enough for it?"

"Um, yeah, I just… don't want to spend that much money on a cup."

"But it's cute." Piper said. "And so is he." She said while whispering into his ear.

"Oh my god." Annabeth said while covering her face.

"What is it?" Percy said while standing up from the lower shelf.

"Nothing!" They both said at the same time.

"Okay?" Percy said while giving them a questioning look. "Well if you need anything, I'll be over by the register."

They watched him walk away and when he was back at the register reading a comic book, they both burst out into a fit of giggles.

"Piper!" Annabeth said. "I can't believe you said that in front of him!" Annabeth whined.

"It's not like he heard." She said while rolling her eyes. "So, are you going to get the cup or not?"

Annabeth looked at the cup, and sighed, it was just really, really cool. And really, really expensive.

"No, not tonight. But I will before we will leave." She declared as she put it down.

"Are you sure?"

"Don't ask that." Annabeth said while closing her eyes tightly. "Let's go to the store that you wanted to go to now."

"Whatever you say." Piper said while shrugging. They walked out the small door, Annabeth first, and Piper noticed that Percy was watching them leave the store. She shrugged it off and walked through the doorframe and back out into the nightlife.


	2. Lainn Moon and Reyna

The bell jingled on the turquoise door when they walked into the the store that Piper wanted to go into. The sign outside said "Lainn Moon", and the entrance was closet sized like the entrance to Pop's. The inside of the store smelled like flowers and was a light seagreen, similar to the eye's of the guy that they had met a few moments ago. There were shelves and tables stacked with all sorts of trinkets- it was like as if someone took Pop's and revised it for someone's indie blog. Necklaces, scarves, maps, glasses, earrings, and posters were all over the store. Piper maneuvered her way through the small walkways and made her way to the back of the store where she saw something that caught her eye. It was on a manikin, which was paper mached, and resting on the bust was a necklace that was made out of silver and a light pink crystal.

"It's rose quartz. It's it beautiful?" Piper looked up when she didn't a reply. "Annabeth?"

"Yeah?" Annabeth called from several feet away, looking at the old maps and scientific drawings of insects that the store had in its collection.

"I've got the necklace, can you come and look at it?" Piper asked while smiling at her friends antics.

"Oh, sure." She said and set down a constellation chart before walking over to Piper.

"How come you didn't tell me about this store? There's so much cool stuff in here."

"I dunno, I thought you knew about it. So, the necklace; what do you think?" Piper asked, while holding it up so the rose quartz would catch in the light.

"I think it's really nice, it'll help highlight your eyes since they have so many colors in them."

"Hmmmmm, I think so too, but what about amethyst? How would purple look?"

"I think you're better off with pink." Annabeth stated, crossing her arms over her chest and smiling.

"But how do you know?"

"Piper, you don't even own a lot of purple in the first place."

"Or you could be neither and save money." A third voice said.

"You're not helping, Reyna." Piper said.

"She has a fair point." Annabeth commented. "And did you know about this store too?"

"Yeah, it's been here for forever, but I don't come here very often." Reyna said while shrugging.

"Am I the only person who didn't know about this store?" Annabeth asked.

"Seems so." Piper said. Anyway, I think I'll get the rose quartz necklace. It's on sale anyways.

"While you pay," Annabeth began, "Reyna, have you seen all their maps and charts."

"Of course. Yeah. My favourite is the one where they have the drawing of the mediterranean, but it's done in the style of the how map making was done in ancient roman times."

"Isn't that map hanging in your room? This is where you got it from?" Annabeth asked.

"Yeah." Reyna said while examining the end of her braid.

"Why didn't you tell me it was here! I must have asked you at least 30 times!" Annabeth exclaimed.

"I'm not sure… I thought I did. Maybe you didn't hear me properly? We miscommunicated?"

"I'm going to get that star chart"

"I got the necklace!" Piper said while walking back up to them. "Are we ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's go." Reyna said. The three of them walked towards the exit of the store and

walked out, the bell dinging as they exited. Annabeth looked up at Pop's store sign while they walked further down the avenue and passed the store on their way to the boardwalk. The sun had completely set now and there was no stars in sight due to all that was going on around them. Annabeth felt like she was moving through a hazy dream, everything around her seemed automated as she continued to walk. People's conversations blurred together, the lights all seemed to fade in and out of focus.

"... don't you think, Annabeth?" Renya said.

"Think what?" Annabeth said, or at least she thought she said.

"That it's a shame that Grover can't meet up with us since he's been sick since he got here."

"Oh. Yeah." She replied and took a deep breath.

"That must suck to be sick on summer vacation." Piper said "How is he doing?"

Annabeth shrugged. "He threw up yesterday." Reyna frowned.

"Yikes." Piper said. "Also, where are we going?"

"The spice and tea shop, Hylla gave me a list of what to get. She specifically said no

less than 5 bags of jasmine tea."

"Why jasmine?" Annabeth asked.

"It's supposed to be calming, and it tastes pretty good, but a lot of this stuff is spices for

cooking." Reyna said. "I guess it's something she got attached to while being a marine."

"Everyone's gotta eat." Piper said."

"Plus if it's something that helps her stay calm then it's even better." Annabeth said.

They had reached the end of the avenue where it turns into the boardwalk and got ready to fight through twice as many people, and many of them had no idea where they were going.

"Ok guys, remember the plan." Annabeth said.

"Got it." Piper said. Reyna nodded and they formed a line, one behind the other and put

their hands on each other's shoulders. Annabeth was in the front, followed by Reyna and then Piper.

"Left foot first, and when we turn, don't forget to pivot." Annabeth reminded them.

"Yes ma'am!" Piper yelled. Reyna rolled her eyes.

"Here we go!" Annabeth said and they began to move single file through the crowd, Left

foot in front of the right and fought through families with screaming children, other groups of teenagers, groups adults, tourist groups, and the occasional religious missionary who was handing out bibles trying to save all of these people.

And somehow, they ended up at the spice and tea shop.

The sign outside of it says Spice and Tea Shoppe, and it's in "the ugliest orange I've

ever seen" according to Piper. The inside is mostly wood, the floor, the walls, the shelves and the baskets holding various goods. They walked inside, and instantly were hit with the smell with hundreds of spices and teas. Reyna pulled out her cellphone and walked over to grab a basket.

"Ok first item; bamboo rice." She said and looked up at her friends who looked at her in

confusion.


	3. Constellation Boy

**Annabeth: Hey, how are you feeling?**

 **Grover: The same. We went to the hospital a few days ago, all they did was inject me with fluids and then I went home? IVs are pretty scary Annabeth.**

 **Annabeth: I'm sure you did fine.**

 **Grover: I freaked out after five minutes because I realized that I was trapped in that hospital room. It was awful.**

 **Annabeth: Well, you're back at your beach house aren't you?**

 **Grover: Yeah. I haven't left my room all day though.**

 **Annabeth: Grover. That's really concerning.**

 **Grover: Yeah, it is isn't it. It's a lot of work to even sit up nevermind walk somewhere.**

 **Annabeth: Grover. Call a doctor.**

 **Grover: I DID. HE DIDN'T HELP ME. I JUST WANT TO EAT THE ENCHILADA IN THE FRIDGE BUT I CAN'T WALK ANNABETH HELP.**

 **Annabeth: Drink ginger tea.**

 **Grover: Did Reyna/Hylla tell you this**

 **Annabeth: Yes, now try it. I'll talk to you later.**

Annabeth hit the power button on her phone and placed it in her pocket before making sure that everything was in her bag for the day on the beach. A towel, sunscreen, a sketchbook, a novel, her keycard, water bottle and her wallet were all in there. She grabbed her earbuds off of the nightstand that was next to the bed that she slept on and walked out of the bedroom that she stayed in.

"I'm going down to the beach now, Dad." She called while walking out the front door.

"Ok, text me when you get down there." He called out to her and then she closed the door.

Annabeth walked down a skinny hallway with lights on the either side before opening a metal door that led to an outdoor stairwell and she walked down several flights before getting down to the ground level parking lot. She was instantly hit with a wave of heat and the stench of exhaust, but the smell of the beach was still in the air. After walking across the parking lot and onto the sidewalk, she then came to a crosswalk where there were more cars and mopeds that actual cars. She crossed the street and walked over to the park where she always went to wait for Piper. The swing set was empty and the pond was still. Annabeth set her bag down next to the pole of the swing set and sat on the right swing, where she always sat. She plugged in her earbuds to her phone, selected a playlist and began to swing.

"Why are you always in the same place when we meet up at the beach?" Piper asked as she was walking towards Annabeth.

"I guess it's just relaxing." She said. "But this time I heard you coming! I heard you step onto the wood chips."

"Wow. I'm so impressed." Piper said. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah." Annabeth said while getting off of the swing. She bent down to grab her bag and swung it over her shoulder.

"Let's go."

"Hylla made us snacks" Reyna said while pulling containers out of her backpack.

"The sacrifice to Poseidon has been bountiful." Piper said.

"That's now how Greek mythology works, Piper. Did you forget everything you learned during our Classics club sessions?"

"Well, the ocean is right there…" Piper suggested. "And we did just have the shit beat out of us by those waves."

"Fair point." Reyna said. "Also have you tried my sister's hummus?"

"no-" Piper began but then stopped and stood up.

"Hey Annabeth, guess who I think I see?" She asked.

"Who?" Annabeth and Reyna asked, both being genuinely confused.

Piper looked down at them and grinned "Constellation boy."

"Who?" Reyna asked again, while Annabeth turned several shades redder.

"Annabeth, Piper, who is this 'Constellation Boy' and how do you know him. Explain. Now." Reyna said while looking back and forth between the two of them.

"He works at Pop's and Annabeth thinks he's really cute." Piper said twice as quickly than how she normally speaks and then waved at the cashier from the other night.

"PIPER MCLEAN I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU DID THAT." Annabeth shouted and tried to pull her down into the sand. Percy smiled and waved back at them before turning away and walking further down the beach. Annabeth watched him go and held up her hand as he turned away.

"Wow Annabeth, I don't think you've ever been this flustered about anyone since that one time-" Renya began.

"Stop. Now. Please." said Annabeth to cut her off, but didn't turn around to look at her, and instead watched Percy continue to walk down the beach and think about what would have happened if she had waved at him. If she had smiled. If she had said something.

"Why don't we go to Pop's tonight?" Piper suggested as they were eating dinner at a fish and chips place. The interior was decorated with artifacts from the London Underground and all sorts of flags. studio lighting lit the restaurant and the walls and floor were made of small tiles. After Piper suggested this, Annabeth choked on her shepherd's pie.

"W-why would we go there? We don't need to go there." Annabeth said quickly.

"Well, you haven't gotten your cup yet."

"Are you still going on about that cup?" Reyna asked.

"Yes…" Annabeth said.

"So, to Pop's!" Piper declared and then took another bit out of her fish.

The trio arrived at Pop's and walked in one by one to the store. Annabeth spotted the Cashier, Percy, or as Piper dubbed him "Constellation Boy" at the counter, talking to a few of his friends. She stared for a few moments until Piper bumped her and they began to walk around the store and looked at all the different candies and comics that the store had on it's shelves. Piper picked up a sash that said "Baddest Bitch in Town" and handed it to Reyna who laughed and put it on.

"...actually I switched schools this year, and my mom had me sign up for honors and AP classes, so we'll see how that goes." Percy said while laughing with a few of his friends.

"Why'd you switch schools?" One of them asked.

"My step dad wanted to move, so we did. I think that we should have left without him, since he's such an ass." He and his friends laughed again.

"Oooo, someone's eavesdropping." A voice said from behind Annabeth. She gasped and jumped. Behind here were Piper and Reyna who were both laughing.

"If you want to listen in, you should probably get closer." Reyna said. "Use something as an excuse."

"The cup!" Piper exclaimed. "Go ask him about it, tell him that you want to buy it, and that you're actually going to do it this time."

"Why are you two doing this to me?" Annabeth wailed.

"Stop being so dramatic and go." Reyna said while patting her on the back.

"It'll be fine!" Piper said and pushed her ahead.

Annabeth's heartbeat pounded in her ears as she walked up to the cash register and she felt her cheeks turning redder.

"Um, I'm here to ask about the constellation cup." She said while brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You finally decided to get it?" Percy said while looking amused. Annabeth looked him in the eye and frowned.

"Yes, I actually decided to get it." She said while rolling her eyes.

"Yikes, Well, we're sold out of them currently." He said while shrugging.

"Are you kidding me?" Annabeth asked, her voice rising slightly.

"Nope." Percy replied, popping the "p". The next shipment will be her in five or so days.

"I don't want to wait five or so days!" Annabeth said. "I finally decided 'I'm gonna buy the cup' and then your store doesn't have it!"

"I only work here." Percy said while putting his hands up in defeat. "You can always come back."

"Well, now I guess I have to." Annabeth said while crossing her arms over her chest and looking away. Her glare softened and she looked back at Percy.

"Thanks anyway though." And then she walked away.


	4. Kenopsia

Annabeth rode her bike down the street on her way back to the hotel. The sun was beginning to set and the disappearance of its warmth sent a chill up her spine. Annabeth pedalled slightly faster to get to back into town and onto the other side where the hotel was that she was staying at.

As she was pedaling through the town, she saw a kid whose hair reminded her of how Grover's looked today; curley, red, and some sand in it. When she was at his house today, she was glad that he was doing better, and was actually mobile, yet he still called it quits halfway through their day out on the beach.

She sighed as she gripped on the brakes at an intersection- life really doesn't give you what you want.

The light turned green and she continued on her way back, the sun getting lower and lower in the sky, the light turning from natural to artificial as the nightlife began in the town. People honked their horns trying to get around each other and all the parking spaces were filled up on the avenue. It took Annabeth four light changes to get across and through all of the traffic. She rode two more block before the yellow hotel was in front of her and she turned inside the parking lot and rode up to the bike rack.

Coming down the stairwell was a group of girls who looked to be around her age and they were all smiling and laughing together as they exited the building. Annabeth watched them go and wondered if that could have been her, Piper and Reyna if she had invited them over to stay with her at the hotel for a night, or even longer. She looked away from their receding figures and locked up her bike. She walked over to the stairs and up several flights of concrete stairs until she got to her floor and pushed open the metal door that led to the hallway. A faint humming came from the vending machines that were against the wall to her right and glowed with a slight blue light. She walked towards her room, her footsteps muffled by the old carpet and swung around her backpack to get to the pocket that held the keycard. It was covered in sand but still worked when she slid it through the electronic lock and the door unlocked.

The hotel room was dark- her family must have gone out already without her and figured that she would be with Piper and Reyna. Annabeth sighed and walked over to the room where she was staying, set down her bag and turned on the light.

After showering and putting on a new change of clothes, Annabeth decided that even if Piper and Reyna weren't there with here to go out, she might as well go to Pop's to get the cup and then to Lainn Moon to see if something caught her eye. Then she could tell them about it later, either when she was back in Manhattan with them or over text. She had considered telling them about her day with Grover earlier but decided against it. Annabeth slid her phone into her pocket and her wallet into another. She grabbed the sandy keycard from the dresser top and brushed it off before walking out of the bedroom and then the hotelroom.

Once she was outside she took a quick glance at the swing set and contemplated going over and sitting on them for a while, but decided against it, and turned away to walk in the direction of the avenue.

It was bustling with life, and she had to fight through people to get where she wanted to go. Yet it all seemed so far away from her, like she wasn't actually walking down the street, like as if the weight of her phone and wallet in her pockets were fake, like as if this wasn't her last night at the beach, like as if she was going to meet up with Reyna and Piper somewhere, only they had decided to not go to the swings first, like as if she didn't feel so lonely. Instead she just felt numb as she walked past the stores with the neon signs and the screaming children and the talking teenagers.

Because life really doesn't give you what you want. You have to go and get it.

Annabeth stood outside of Pop's and stared at the red door that was old and weather beaten like many of the buildings in the town. She took a deep breath and walked inside the shop and looked around.

At least Pop's looked the same to her. To her right she noticed that the constellation cup had been placed back on it, meaning that it was in stock again. She smiled slightly, thinking about the green eyed clerk, Percy who had helped her out with it. She lifted her head up and looked around for him in the store and didn't see him, but she wasn't one to give up yet, so she walked further inside and began to walk through the store in search for him.

He wasn't there either.

"Can I help you with something?" A older man's voice said from behind her. Annabeth turned around and saw a middle aged man with grey hair and blue eyes looking at her.

"Um, I was actually wondering about this cup." She said as she made her way back over to the cup at the front of the store.

"Would you like to purchase it?"

"Yes please" She said while taking out her wallet. The man took the box off the shelf and walked over to the register, and Annabeth followed him.

"These are some of our most popular items, these cups, they sell out so quickly!" He said as he was ringing up the cup.

"That'll b-"

"I know." She said and handed him the exact amount of money. The man smiled at him before going to put it in the register and the cup in a bag. He handed it to her and she thanked him before walking out of the store, feeling even emptier than before.

She heard a guitar in the distance and someone singing along. Annabeth walked into Lainn Moon and it got even louder. She looked around the store but no one had a guitar on them.

Annabeth looked around the store and picked up several various things that she intended to purchase: the star chart, a new planner, a new calendar, some pens, and a pair of earrings that had an owl perched on a crescent moon. As she gathered all of these items, she noticed that music from the guitar had stopped, and the store seemed oddly quiet without it. She paid for her items and walked out the back door of the store instead, since she intended to home when she saw the guitarist sitting at a table that the coffee and crepe place owned with a girl resting her head on his shoulders. The area was light with rope lights and smelled strongly of coffee, salt, and tobacco smoke. The guitarist was strumming softly and singing in what sounded like french to Annabeth and the girl who was leaning on him would join in sometimes. She noticed that his instrument case had a good amount of bills in it, and smiled a little.

maybe someday, but for now it's time to deal with the present.

And she walked away, to go back with the constellation cup in her hand, feeling not as lonely anymore.


	5. Constellation Girl

Annabeth set her phone down on the counter, while it buzzed grabbed the containers for her lunch and put them in her lunch bag. After putting it down by her backpack and doing one last check on her reflection in the bathroom mirror, she grabbed her phone and saw that there were at least 20 new messages from Piper, Reyna, and Hazel in their group chat. Annabeth smiled; then selected a playlist from her library, plugged in her headphones, and put her phone in her pocket. She'd see her friends in a little bit at school, so she figured that she wouldn't need to check the notifications. Next she put her lunch bag in her backpack and then hoisted the backpack onto her shoulders.

"Bye, Dad!" Annabeth called out on her way out.

"Bye, Annabeth!" Her dad replied while trying to get her little brothers to stop chasing each other around. She walked out of the front door and onto the street.

Annabeth lived in a small neighborhood made up of mostly townhouses on the upper east side of Manhattan. There were a couple of apartment buildings at the north and south end of the neighborhood, but it was quieter than majority of the city, and she appreciated that. Even though it was the day after labor day, Annabeth could feel fall in the air when the breeze blew as she walked to school. The streets were lined with small trees, and people were walking up and down as part of their daily commute. The air back where she lived had that faint city smell that always happens in the summer, but not as strong since it wasn't as hot. It was accompanied with car fumes, and the smell of the tree's fertilizer. The morning sun peaked through their leaves as she continued to walk to school and reached the building.

The high school was an old brick building that had a concrete arch over its entrance, and concrete stairs. The American flag hung on the right hand side of the arch and students were walking on the stairs, some getting out of their cars on the street where they were parked and heading inside. From across the street, Annabeth could spot her friend group standing by the bottom of the stairwell and talking. It also looked like that Jason was now wearing glasses, which she was sure Piper would like. Annabeth crossed the street and walked towards her friends, but stopped a few feet before them when she noticed that there was a new face in their circle.

A new but familiar face with black hair and eyes like the ocean. Piper looked over and away from the new face and at her, and had the audacity to wink at her.

"Percy, you remember Annabeth right?" She asked while pointing in her direction. The boy looked over to her and his facial expression changed from confusion at first to surprise.

"Oh, yeah! You're the constellation girl, aren't you?" Percy asked. Annabeth blushed heavily, and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, because that was true and it wasn't.

He's the constellation boy, according to Piper, this new face can't go around and assign her nicknames, but for reasons that she really didn't want to admit to herself, she didn't mind.

"I guess I am" She said while looking at Piper and then him.

"Annabeth!" Grover called. Annabeth smiled and ran over to hug him, even though he was only a few yards further back than Percy.

"Are you still dying? What happened to you? You have to tell me everything!" She began all at once, and Grover laughed.

"I will but first, have you met my friend Percy Jackson?"

Oh my god, how many times is she going to run into this guy, and that name?

"Yeah, I met him. How do you know him?" She said as she let go of Grover.

"We went to the same summer camp when we were younger. And as for your other questions, I'm perfectly fine, although I now have to take medication for some weird migraines."

"Wow, that sucks." Annabeth said.

"Yeah, but it's whatever. You didn't even notice the fact that I got new crutches! I'm hurt Annabeth!" Grover said while making a hurt expression.

"Oh my gosh, that completely went past me!"

"So it looks like you two are good friends" a third voice said. Annabeth turned around and saw Percy standing there. He wore a black t-shirt with blue shorts and converse. Now that Annabeth got to be relatively close to him again, she noticed that he was definitely on the tall side. Not as tall as Frank or Jason but close.

"Well, you're good friends with him too, aren't you?" Annabeth asked. "Speaking of which, Grover, we've been friends for years and you've never mentioned this guy to me! why is that?"

"Wait you guys have been friends for a long time too?" Percy asked. "How come you never mentioned her to me, man?"

Grover shrugged "I dunno, I like to keep my social circles separate, I guess."

Percy opened his mouth to say something else but then the bell to dismiss students to class rang and they were cut off.

"Do you know where you're going? Annabeth asked as they started walking up the steps to the main doors.

"Yeah, they made me show up for freshman orientation day, even though I'm a junior."

"Wait really?" Grover and Annabeth asked in unison.

"Yeah. It was awful. They're all so loud, but at least I know where all my classes are." Percy said while shrugging. The trio had reached the main entrance.

"My homeroom's this way." Percy said while pointing to the right.

"Mine too!" Annabeth said.

"Mine is on the left." Grover said while frowning.

"Don't worry about it, all junior homerooms are on the third floor." Annabeth said.

"I didn't know that, but we'll see you soon." Percy said and Grover walked away. Him and Annabeth began to walk in the other direction and made small talk as they climbed the concrete staircases to get to the third floor.

"So, where did you move from?"

"I lived in midtown before we moved here." Percy said "it's pretty different."

"I guess so." Annabeth said.

"Have you lived here your whole life?" Percy asked.

"No, I lived in northern Virginia, close to DC and then we moved here, then San Francisco, before we came back here."

"Wow, that's a lot of moving." Percy said.

"What were those places like?"

"Well, it's just as humid in Virginia as it is here, but the DC city smell is different than the one here in the summer. They both stink though." Percy laughed and She kept going.

In California, it was much drier and it didn't get nearly as cold."

"Why did you move so much?" Percy asked as they got on to the third floor and we're looking for their classrooms

"My dad's job." Annabeth said. "He's a historian and a professor."

"That's really cool." Percy stopped in front of a classroom. "Well, this is my class, I'll see you when we get our lockers.

"Yeah, bye." Annabeth said and continued to walk down the hallway.

The hallway had navy blue and white tiled floors and had classrooms on either side. Annabeth's classroom was only a few more doors down than Percy's. The wooden door was left ajar to let students go in and out as they please, since the bell to start class hasn't rung yet. She walked in and sat at the desk in the front left hand corner, and pulled out her phone. Usually Annabeth was in homerooms without any of her friends, and she didn't expect this year to be any different. She began to scroll through the New York Times website when the bell rang and students ran in the room and shuffled around to find a seat.

When the commotion was mostly settled, a middle aged man in a wheelchair rolled into the room, and pushed the door closed behind him. Annabeth looked up from her phone and smiled; Mr. Brunner was her favourite teacher, and the teacher who sponsored the classics club at her school, which she was the current president of.

"Alright everyone, please settle down." He called as he wheeled himself towards the center of the room. "I've got everyone's forms and locker information, so just be patient while I call your name." The room was filled with excited whispering as students talked to one another, expressing their wishes about where they wanted their locker to be, and what their plans for the year were.

Mr. Brunner began to call off names and handed them several slips of paper before sending them out into the hallway so they could find their locker and test it. Finally he called Annabeth's name and she stood up to receive her papers, which included medical forms, the school's code of conduct, and a contract that every student signs holding them liable for their own actions.

"Good to see you, Annabeth." Mr. Brunner said. Annabeth smiled and nodded.

"Good to see you too." She said and walked out of the room. Back in the hallway, she was amazed at how loud it was. Students were everywhere trying to find their lockers, complaining about them, and just bustling about. Annabeth looked at the number on the slip of paper she received and then made her way further down the hallway. She began to slow down and eventually stop when she saw the locker number on the slip of paper and when she leaned down to test the combination, a voice spoke up from beside her.

"It looks like your locker's next to mine." Percy said.


	6. Suspicion

**Sorry this update took so long! between school, private lessons, and stage management, I had a lot on my plate. However, now it's spring break and I can probably get another one in before I have to go back to school.**

Piper stood at her locker, watching Percy interact with Annabeth and she smiled softly she was glad that the two were getting along so well so early in their friendship, and she secretly hoped that things were going as smoothly with her and Jason, who seemed to be not as pressured to talk to her, and when he did, he seemed very uncomfortable in Piper's opinion, which only further diminished her self esteem in regards to her relationship with Jason and its potential. She had turned away to place stacks of sticky notes on one of the shelves inside her locker. The interior was all a beige color which just irritated Piper. She hated Beige.

"Hey." A voice said next to her. Piper looked up and saw Jason. He had grown over the summer, and was tanner, taller, blonder, and now wore glasses.

"Hey, four eyes." Piper said while smiling. Jason frowned.

"Mean. I need them to see, and specifically so that I could get my Permit."

"I can't believe that you got yours before I got mine." Piper said. "You have to give me rides."

"As if." Jason said and smirked, which caused the scar on the left side of his lip to go up. Piper couldn't help but stare for a little bit because damnit, she really liked this guy, and she couldn't help the fact that he was really, really attractive, and she couldn't help the fact that she was just happy that he was here talking to her, or that her heart pounded slightly when he laughed or smiled.

Piper cursed internally because dammit, she was in love and with a guy almost as dorky as Annabeth, but really, really hot too.

"But why not?" Piper jokingly whined.

"Because then everyone else will ask for rides, and it'll be a mess." Jason said while keeping a stoic face.

"It can be a secret though!" Piper said and smiled at him. She saw his resolve crack slightly and he smiled a little.

"Fine, bu-"

"Hey guys, I know this is rude, but I have a quick question." A third voice said. Piper and Jason looked over and Will looking at the two of them, with an urgent expression on his face.

"What's up?" Piper asked.

"I haven't seen Nico all morning and he hasn't answered any of my texts. I know his locker isn't on this floor but still, it's lot like him to do something like this." Will said while rubbing his hands together.

Piper and Jason looked at each other. Neither of them had seen Nico either.

"I haven't seen him." Jason said.

"Neither have I." Piper said. "Has something happened?"

Before she could answer, the teacher called the students back into their homerooms for the last five minutes of the class. Will shrugged at them and then walked down the hallway towards his room.

"That was weird." Jason said.

"Yeah" Piper said, her voice trailing off as she began to run over different scenarios as to what could have happened to their sophomore friend.

"I'll see you around then?" Jason said.

"Yeah, sure!" Piper said while perking back up. "Totally." And then she walked away to her classroom thinking about the information Will gave her, but also her most recent interaction with Jason.

Back in their classroom, their teachers handed out their schedules and other important papers for the year. Piper grabbed the schedule sheet and took a picture of it to send in the group chat. She had four classes with Annabeth, two with Reyna and one with Hazel, which coincidentally all of them had together. She smiled when Hazel expressed her sadness at not having any other classes with her friends, and Reyna blamed it on the fact that she was taking art classes. Then she opened up her private conversation with Annabeth and told her about the conversation with Will she had with Jason earlier that day, and how Nico's absence was concerning her. After several minutes her phone vibrated and it was a text from Annabeth saying that she was now also concerned and that they would talk about it together in their first class together.

The bell for homeroom to end rang and Piper practically shot out of her seat to race up two flights of stairs to get to the floor where her first period class was. She felt as though she had been duped by whatever deity there was out there; calc as a first period, but it's also on the highest floor of the building? That's just rude. Who did she piss off? Piper considered what adjustments (like waking up earlier. yikes.) she would have to make to her morning routine so that she wouldn't be late to this class every morning since it was so far from literally everything else in the building. When she walked in, about half the class was already seated or talking, and she spotted Annabeth at a seat in the back, reading a book of some kind and looking more interested in that than the real world. Piper quickly walked over to the seat next to her and sat down, and Annabeth closed her book.

"So this Nico thing, what do you think it's about?" Piper asked.

"I don't know but I have my suspicions." Annabeth said. "For one, there is his sister, whose condition, I heard has been getting worse over the past few months but really took a nosedive once summer started."

"Yikes. Do you think sh-"

"We don't know. Whatever is happening, their family is choosing to keep it very confidential, for better or for worse." Annabeth said.

"I guess the most we can do now is be there for him." Piper said with a sigh.

"I guess so." Annabeth said with a slight frown.

"I know that look, Annabeth." Piper said. "That's your 'I hate not knowing something' look."

The bell to signal the start of first period rang, and the girls voices dropped down to a whisper but they continued talking.

"Well, yeah, I really want to know what's going on, and not just for my sake." Annabeth said.

Piper smiled, "Well, we can always start to find things out for ourselves."

Annabeth's expression became mildly confused. "How?"

Piper shrugged "We start asking around. But first I'm going to text Nico and see if I get a response."

"Yeah, do that first." Annabeth said, and she turned her attention to the front of the room.


	7. Red Giant

Before Percy knew it, Lunch had rolled around, and he was grateful for the fact that Rachel and Will were in his 4th period class, not only because he thought they were both funny in their own sense and would be good friends, but also because they offered to show him where their group sits usually during lunch, so that he wouldn't have to sit alone.

Yeah, Percy figured that he could definitely get used to this,

As they walked down several flights of stairs to get down to the basement, Percy and Rachel were comparing doodles that they had drawn on each other and on their notebooks during class, with Wil judging them, to see who was the better artist. Rachel laughed at Percy's drawings, because for some reason, he tended to draw a lot of aquatic life, but even for doodles, they all looked really good.

"It's just something to do while I'm sitting in class." He said. "I can't just sit there pay attention, without doing anything else."

"Yeah no, I totally get that." Will said. "I can't do it either since I've got ADHD." Percy was surprised that someone would be so open about having something like that, whereas he would try to cover it up as best as he could; which is where doodling on things in class came from.

"Well, it seems like you've been doodling in a lot of your classes, because you're pretty good. I hope you signed up to take studio art." Rachel said.

"I mean, I didn't…" Percy said. "And I didn't really consider it either, but the class I wanted didn't fit in my schedule, so I was placed in there." He said while shrugging. Rachel grinned

"Yes! It seems that fate wants you in there anyway, my friend." She said while laughing. The trio arrived at the lunch spot, which also happened to be outside the studio art room. Annabeth was sitting with a girl who had brown hair and skin, and Percy couldn't remember her name, but she whispered something into Annabeth's ear, to which Annabeth seemed to be listening intently to, and frowned slightly, taking a short glance at what seemed to be

Well, it wasn't any of his business.

They sat down and began to talk when about ten minutes later another girl walked up that Percy remembered from the beginning of the day, with darker skin than the girl next to Annabeth, and curlier hair. She also looked younger, and considering that Percy didn't see her on the floor with the other juniors, he assumed that she was.

"Hazel!" Will said while standing up and hugging her. The girl embraced him slowly, as if she wasn't entirely sure what to do when people did this.

"Hazel," Will said and let her go, "Have you seen Nico?"

Hazel looked at Will and then at the ground. "That's why I wanted to talk to you."

Percy looked over and noticed that Annabeth and the other girl had also stopped talking amongst themselves and were now paying attention to Hazel and what she was going to say.

"Why don't you take a seat." The girl next to Annabeth suggested. Hazel nodded and sat down between her and Will.

"Well, I'm sure most of you are curious as to why Nico isn't here today." Percy figured she said most because he had no idea who Nico is or what was going on, and hoped that he would at least be briefed on the situation.

"And, he's not here because Bianca died last night." She said while exhaling shakily. Will gasped softly and so did The other girl (Percy really needed to learn her name) Annabeth's eyes widened, and Rachel lowered her head.

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking." Annabeth said softly.

"Well, she was in the hospital and their dad was outside the room, talking to someone, so it was her and Nico were alone. He was sitting on the bed and he was trying to have a conversation with her, and she tells him that she doesn't want him to feel lonely when she dies, and she feels sorry for putting him through all of this. Like as if she had done something wrong, she didn't do anything wrong." Hazel said, her voice rising at the end. She took a shaky breath and shifted her weight before continuing.

"Nico tries to tell her to stop thinking like that, because it isn't true, she smiles and reaches down for his hand. She tells him that she wished she got to be a senior in high school, but on the bright side, she'll see their mom soon, and tell her hello for him. Then Nico starts to cry and tells her to stop it. She apologizes." Hazel stopped talking and wiped her eyes, inhaled again and then kept talking.

"She kept apologizing, and he kept telling her to stop. Then Nico asked her to stay with him. Bianca tells him to take a deep breath, and he does, she gets him to do one of his breathing exercises and they're doing it together, so that she can calm him down."

"And then he noticed that she stopped breathing. And he screamed." After she said that, Hazel began to cry, and the girl next to Annabeth got up and hugged her.

Percy was speechless. He couldn't imagine losing anyone he cared about like that, nevermind a sibling. He didn't know this kid, but he felt really, really bad for them, and hoped that they made it through whatever was happening next mostly together.

Although from his personal experience, he knew how death changed people, and sometimes not for the best, but from the description he was getting, this kid didn't deserve what he had seen in his life so far.

"I'm so sorry." She said while holding her and rubbing small circles on her back.

"Me too, Piper." So that's her name! "Me too." Hazel said and sighed. The silence among the group was just beginning to disperse when the bell rang for 5th period and they all parted their separate ways, everyone giving Hazel a hug, even Percy, who offered his condolences (as awkward as they had been) before leaving.

Later on in 7th period, Percy walked in, and was surprised to find that many of the friends he had made earlier that day were also in his history class with a man named . He was also surprised to see that his teacher was handicapped, yet seemed energetic regardless.

Like his other classes, today's lesson was an introduction into the course, and the syllabus. While that was going on, Percy was being filled in on who Nico is, and he found out that he is a sophomore, who's mom died when he was six years old and that his dad is actually a pretty decent guy, but wasn't home a lot because of business reasons. Towards the end of the class, asked to have everyone's attention so that he could announce the classics club, which he was the sponsor of.

"Will you join?" Annabeth asked, who happened to sit right next to him.

"Not likely, what about you?" Percy replied.

"I have to." She said, looking oddly determined.

"Why do you 'have to'?" Percy asked.

"I need to figure out what happened to my mom." Annabeth said."She went missing a few years after I was born."

 _Why is everything so morbid?_ Percy thought to himself.


End file.
